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Bryant exits a winner as Lakers upset the Celtics

By Matt Langone, mlangone@lowellsun.com

Updated:
12/31/2015 06:38:57 AM EST

BOSTON -- More than seven years after he walked off the TD Garden parquet, while the Boston Celtics celebrated an NBA championship with their hometown fans, Kobe Bryant has developed a true appreciation for that seemingly unpalatable night in June of 2008.

Without it, Bryant says a 2010 championship for his Los Angeles Lakers over those same Celtics may not have been possible.

"The loss led to the win. I say that in the most beautiful way possible," said Bryant. "I don't remember the loss as like a painful experience, I remember it as a beautiful moment because it helped me find the best version of myself and my teammates. I always remember the beauty of it -- at the time not so much (laughs)."

Bryant will retire after this season, his 20th in the NBA. The fiercely competitive guard, who has won five championships and scored nearly 33,000 points, played what was almost definitely his final game at TD Garden on Wednesday night. His Lakers are currently the worst team in the Western Conference. This was the Boston swan song for an all-time great.

At 37, the years of NBA mileage have finally caught up to Bryant. But that doesn't mean he can't hit the rewind button every now and then. In fact, he did it quite a few times on Wednesday night, as his 15 points and 11 rebounds in 33 minutes helped the Lakers upset the Celtics, 112-104.

"It was great man. It was great," said Bryant. "I didn't get the start I wanted, but the finish was fine. Being able to say 'thank you' to the fans -- it was a beautiful moment.

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In true Bryant form, he had nine points in the fourth quarter, including a cold-blooded 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining to put the Lakers (6-27) up 107-102.

He was playing in front of a fan base that has largely expressed disdain for him throughout his career. But on this night, a sellout crowd of 18,624 loudly expressed their appreciation.

The Garden faithful, many of which were donning No. 24 Bryant jerseys, gave the future Hall of Famer a deafening standing ovation during the Lakers' pregame introductions, then broke into a chant of "Ko-be, Ko-be, Ko-be!" as the Celtics pregame jumbotron video began.

"It was unbelievable," said Bryant. "You know, honestly, if I could chant for them, I would. I don't think the fans here really understand how much they drove me. From the singing of the songs, the shaking of the bus going back to the hotel, you know, that stuff really stuck with me. I mean it drove me to maniacal proportions."

When the game started, the cheers turned to boos every time Bryant touched the ball, and then a loud cheer when he missed a technical free throw in the first quarter. Still, in the moments when Bryant made a vintage move and converted a bucket, like when he spun around Avery Bradley for a dunk in the third quarter, there were again loud cheers. Multiple "Ko-be, Ko-be!" chants occurred as the game went on, including when the game ended and Bryant was exiting the court. He returned the favor by saluting the crowd.

To Bryant, Boston was no ordinary stop on his season-long farewell tour.

"Because of the history," said Bryant. "I grew up a really big historian of the game and understanding Boston's history, the players -- many different players, championships won. And so this place is always special to me. The history I think is what makes this city different than all the rest."

Earlier in the day, members of the Celtics front office privately presented Bryant with a piece of the parquet floor. It was clearly the dominant storyline, and may or may not have contributed to a lackluster performance by the Celtics, particularly on the defensive end. Boston (18-14), which was led by Isaiah Thomas' 24 points and seven assists, had its four-game winning streak snapped

"I don't think we worried about (Bryant) coming back to the Garden for the last time," said Celtics swingman Evan Turner, who had 20 points and eight assists off the bench. "I think coach (Brad Stevens) said it, we need to worry about ourselves and leave it at that."

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